The plot was actually quite different from most Hallmark movies. I also thought the casting was good. It was nice seeing Melissa Joan Hart in a movie again, and Dean Cain is always one of my favorites actors.Overall, a decent Christmas movie. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of romantic comedy movies!

. I love Melissa Joan Hart, I really do. But this Christmas offering is pretty dull. Our heroine is competing with our hero (Dean Cain) for the co-host chair on Regis and Kathie lee. No. Regis and Kelly. No. Kelly and Michael. No….In this movie it is called Rise and Shine. They are former lovers and co-workers. Melissa broke up with Dean because he was chosen over her for a big promotion 6 years prior, and she was just so embarrassed about that. Melissa looks young enough still to pass as an under 35 broadcaster on her way up. But Dean Cain, at 50, just looks absurd trying to play the role of a person of approximately the same age. At one point he pleads with influential Dad at the dinner table that he wants to earn the National spot on his own without Daddy interfering. Melissa was great as usual. Her rant on live TV when she promotes herself, a virtual unknown, for the Network morning show is funny and entertaining. And her charm and naturalness in trying out for the job would have won her the job immediately in real life over the 3 no-talents she is competing against. There's a big reveal at the end which you see coming a mile away, that really does Dean Cain no favors in making his role believable or sympathetic. I enjoyed Jackee Harry's work in this, and am glad to see Cynthia Gibb still working despite playing her own age. Holy Cow! I just realized that that was Richard Kline playing Melissa's Dad. Totally did not recognize him!

"Broadcasting Christmas" tells the story of small town reporter Emily (Melissa Joan Hart), who's been stuck in the same small Connecticut town for years, covering simple local stories, while her ex- boyfriend Charlie (Dean Cain) has moved on to bigger and better things in Manhattan. When the co-host of a big morning show suddenly quits, Emily tries to apply for the job, but her longtime friend, producer Patrice (Cynthia Gibb) says they're only considering "names." This sends Emily into a jealous tirade, live on air, in which she begs for a shot. The clip goes viral and now the network has no choice but to offer her a chance to compete for the position along with some other, more-qualified contenders, including... you guessed it... her ex-boyfriend Charlie. As the Christmas Day telethon approaches, where the winner is going to be announced, the competition grows more and more fierce... all while our lead couple start to rekindle their feelings for one another. Who will get the job? Who will get the guy? What makes this movie stand out is that it's not a traditional small town Christmas story. It's set in the big city and it takes place in the cutthroat world of broadcasting journalism. The movie moves at a faster-than-expected pace, features a healthy dose of witty, snappy dialogue, and has two terrific performances by the leads. Melissa comes across as a scrappy fighter and you love her for it, while Dean is the more sympathetic one who discovers a unpleasant secret about his own success. They have a fun chemistry that straddles the line between straight romance and workplace rivalry... again, making it feel different."Broadcasting Christmas" is one of the better Hallmark movies in recent memory and definitely worth a close look this holiday season.